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History | |
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Name | Blairmore |
Namesake | Blairmore, Alberta |
Builder | Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co, Port Arthur |
Laid down | 2 January 1942 |
Launched | 14 May 1942 |
Commissioned | 17 November 1942 |
Decommissioned | 16 October 1945 |
Identification | Pennant number: J314 |
Honours and awards | Atlantic 1943-45, Normandy 1944 [1] |
Fate | Transferred to Turkish Navy 1958 |
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Name | Beycoz |
Acquired | 29 March 1958 |
Fate | Discarded 1971 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Bangor-class minesweeper |
Displacement | 672 long tons (683 t) |
Length | 180 ft (54.9 m) oa |
Beam | 28 ft 6 in (8.7 m) |
Draught | 9 ft 9 in (3.0 m) |
Propulsion | 2 Admiralty 3-drum water tube boilers, 2 shafts, vertical triple-expansion reciprocating engines, 2,400 ihp (1,790 kW) |
Speed | 16.5 knots (31 km/h) |
Complement | 83 |
Armament |
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HMCS Blairmore (pennant J314) was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1942, the ship took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasion of Normandy. Following the war, the ship was laid up until 1958 when the Blairmore was transferred to the Turkish Navy. Renamed Beycoz, the vessel was discarded in 1971.
A British design, the Bangor-class minesweepers were smaller than the preceding Halcyon-class minesweepers in British service, but larger than the Fundy class in Canadian service. [2] [3] They came in two versions powered by different engines; those with a diesel engines and those with vertical triple-expansion steam engines. [2] Blaimore was of the latter design and was larger than her diesel-engined cousins. The minesweeper was 180 feet (54.9 m) long overall, had a beam of 28 feet 6 inches (8.7 m) and a draught of 9 feet 9 inches (3.0 m). [2] [4] Blairmore had a displacement of 672 long tons (683 t). She had a complement of 6 officers and 77 enlisted. [4]
Blairmore had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). The minesweeper could carry a maximum of 150 long tons (152 t) of fuel oil. [2]
Blairmore was armed with a single quick-firing (QF) 12-pounder (3 in (76 mm)) 12 cwt HA gun mounted forward. [2] [5] [lower-alpha 1] The ship was also fitted with a QF 2-pounder Mark VIII aft and were eventually fitted with single-mounted QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns on the bridge wings. [6] Those ships assigned to convoy duty had two depth charge launchers and four chutes to deploy the 40 depth charges they carried. [2] [5]
The minesweeper was ordered as part of the 1941–1942 construction programme. [5] The ship's keel was laid down on 2 January 1942 by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co at their yard in Port Arthur, Ontario. Named for a community in Alberta, Blairmore was launched on 14 May 1942. The ship was commissioned on 17 November 1942 at Port Arthur. [7]
After arriving at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 24 December 1942, the minesweeper was assigned to Western Local Escort Force as a convoy escort. In June 1943, the force was re-organized into escort groups and Blairmore joined W-4. The ship served with W-4 until February 1944. That month, the minesweeper was ordered to European waters as part of Canada's contribution to the invasion of Normandy. [7]
Upon arrival in March, Blairmore was assigned to the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla. [8] During the invasion, Blairmore and her fellow minesweepers swept and marked channels through the German minefields leading into the invasion beaches in the American sector. [9] The 31st Minesweeping Flotilla swept channel 3 on 6 June, completing the task unmolested by the Germans. [10] The minesweepers spent the following months clearing the shipping lanes between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. On 8 October 1944, the 31st Minesweeping Flotilla was sweeping for mines off Le Havre, France when sister ship Mulgrave suffered an explosion. The minesweeper had hit a mine and after damage control efforts saved the ship, Blairmore took the vessel in tow and brought her to Le Havre. [11] In April 1945, the ship sailed to Canada for a refit at Halifax and returned to Plymouth in July. The minesweeper remained in European waters attached to Plymouth Command until 21 September 1945. [7]
After returning to Canada, the minesweeper was paid off at Sydney, Nova Scotia on 16 October 1945. Blairmore was sold to Marine Industries and placed in strategic reserve at Sorel, Quebec in 1946. In July 1951 the minesweeper was reacquired by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Korean War. [7] The vessel was taken to Sydney, Nova Scotia and given the new hull number FSE 193 and re-designated a coastal escort. [7] [12] However, the ship never recommissioned and remained in reserve at Sydney until 29 March 1958 when Blairmore was formally transferred to the Turkish Navy. [7] [13] Renamed Beycoz by the Turkish Navy, the vessel remained in service until 1971 when it was discarded. [7] The vessel was broken up in Turkey in 1971. [14]
HMCS Vegreville was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action in the Battle of the St. Lawrence, Battle of the Atlantic and the Invasion of Normandy. She was broken up after the war in 1947. She was named for Vegreville, Alberta.
HMCS Cowichan was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Invasion of Normandy. After the war she was sold for mercantile use. She was named for Cowichan Valley in British Columbia.
HMS Guysborough was a VTE-engined Bangor-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. Before commissioning she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy on loan. She saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Invasion of Normandy. She was torpedoed by the German submarine U-868 in 1945 while returning to the United Kingdom.
HMCS Minas was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Invasion of Normandy. She was named for Minas Basin. After the war she was reactivated for a short period of time in 1955 before being sold for scrap.
HMCS Transcona was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She was launched on 26 April 1941. After the war, she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police under the name French. The vessel served until 1961 before being sold for scrap and broken up later that year.
HMCS Gananoque was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Named for the town of Gananoque, Ontario situated on the Saint Lawrence River, the minesweeper entered service in 1941 and participated in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the Saint Lawrence, mainly as a convoy escort. Following the end of the war in 1945 Gananoque was decommissioned and placed in reserve. The vessel was reacquired in 1952, but never reentered service and was sold for scrap in 1959 and broken up.
HMCS Thunder was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. The minesweeper entered service in 1941 and took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasion of Normandy. Following the war Thunder was sold for scrap and broken up.
HMCS Courtenay was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1942, Courtenay spent the entire war on the West Coast of Canada. The vessel was decommissioned in 1945 and sold for mercantile service in 1946. The fate of the vessel is uncertain.
HMCS Georgian was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Primarily used as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the St. Lawrence, the minesweeper had the misfortune of mistakenly sinking the British submarine HMS P514 off the coast of Newfoundland. Georgian also saw service in European waters, taking part in the invasion of Normandy. Following the war the ship was discarded and sold for scrap.
HMCS Malpeque was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1941, the minesweeper took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasion of Normandy. Malpeque was decommissioned in 1945 and placed in reserve. The vessel was reacquired during the Korean War, however the ship never re-entered service and was sold for scrap in 1959.
HMCS Wasaga was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1941, the minesweeper took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasion of Normandy. Following the end of the war, the vessel was sold in 1946 and broken up for scrap in 1947.
HMCS Bayfield was a Bangor-class minesweeper initially constructed for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942, the minesweeper saw service on both the West and East Coasts of Canada as a convoy escort and patrol vessel. In 1944, Bayfield sailed for European waters and took part in the invasion of Normandy. She remained in European waters for the rest of the war and was returned to the United Kingdom in September 1945. The minesweeper was laid up until being discarded for scrap in 1948.
HMCS Canso was a Bangor-class minesweeper initially constructed for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942, the minesweeper saw service on both the West and East Coasts of Canada as a convoy escort and patrol vessel. The vessel participated in the invasion of Normandy and spent the final years of the war in European waters. Canso was returned to the Royal Navy following the war and was broken up for scrap in 1948.
HMCS Caraquet was a Bangor-class minesweeper initially constructed for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942, the vessel served on both coasts of Canada and took part in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort and the invasion of Normandy. Following the war, the minesweeper was returned to the United Kingdom who then sold the ship to the Portuguese Navy in 1946. Renamed Almirante Lacerda, the vessel was used as a survey ship until 1975 when it was discarded.
HMCS Lockeport was a Bangor-class minesweeper initially constructed for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942, the minesweeper saw service on both coasts of Canada as a patrol vessel and convoy escort. Returned to the Royal Navy in 1945, Lockeport was discarded in 1948.
HMCS Kelowna was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1942, the minesweeper spent the entire war on the West Coast of Canada, mainly as a patrol vessel. Following the war, Kelowna was sold for mercantile conversion. Renamed Hung Hsin and Condor, the final disposition of the vessel is disputed.
HMCS Fort William was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1942, the minesweeper participated in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort and in the invasion of Normandy. Following the war, the ship was laid up, but was reacquired during the Korean War. Fort William never re-entered service with the Royal Canadian Navy and in 1957, was sold to Turkey. Renamed Bodrum by the Turkish Navy, the ship was discarded in 1971.
HMCS Kenora was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1942, the minesweeper took part in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort and in the invasion of Normandy. Following the war, the vessel was laid up until reacquired in 1952 during the Korean War. Never re-entering service with the Royal Canadian Navy, Kenora was sold to the Turkish Navy in 1957. Renamed Bandirma by the Turkish Navy, the vessel was discarded in 1972.
HMCS Milltown was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. The vessel entered service in 1942 and took part in the Battle of the Atlantic, Battle of the St. Lawrence and the invasion of Normandy. Milltown was laid up following the war, but reacquired in 1952 during the Korean War. The ship never re-entered service with the Royal Canadian Navy and was sold for scrap in 1959.
HMCS Mulgrave was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1942, the minesweeper took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the invasion of Normandy. While sweeping for naval mines off France in 1944, the vessel hit one. The ship was towed back to port where Mulgrave was declared a constructive total loss. Laid up until the end of the war, the minesweeper was broken up in 1947.